The Right Mix: Donatella Versace will have plenty of designer company at the 25th annual Fashion Group International’s Night of Stars honoring “The Alchemists.” While Versace will pick up the Superstar Award, Christopher Bailey, Francisco Costa, Carla and Franca Sozzani and Christian Louboutin will be the fashion award honorees. Bobbi Brown will take home the beauty prize, Philippe Starck will pocket the one for architecture and Harvey Weinstein will receive the entertainment award. Simon Doonan will host the festivities at Cipriani 55 Wall Street. The corporate leadership award will go to Net-a-porter’s Natalie Massenet, while Paul Mitchell’s John Paul DeJoria will accept the sustainability award and Bill McComb will do the honors for the humanitarian award on behalf of the Liz Claiborne Foundation.

In Model Fashion: Ben Grimes is the latest model making the transition from mannequin to designer. Grimes, a former face of Burberry’s Brit fragrance, has teamed up with her designer friend Lily Parker to launch a capsule collection called LPBG. The collection will focus on silk dresses and separates, and is set to make its debut during London Fashion Week in September. “We have strived to bring old-school detailing to modern pieces,” said Grimes. “There are no full-length dresses in the collection. We wanted the clothes to be more about kicking up your heels and dancing.” Grimes and Parker — who has stints at Richard Nicoll‘s design studio under her belt — also have produced cropped jackets and shorts as part of their line. Grimes added that the two have taken their inspiration from fashion editorials in Seventies editions of Vogue and the idea of the perfect dress. Prices for the line are yet to be confirmed.

Pinault, Hayek Split: PPR chief executive officer Francois-Henri Pinault and actress Salma Hayek have called off their engagement, which was announced in March 2007. Their daughter, Valentina Paloma Pinault, was born in September. In a statement, Hayek’s representative said: “We are sad to announce the engagement of Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault has been canceled. There will be no further comment.” PPR declined to comment.

Button Up: A year after apparel executives, seamstresses, jobbers and other tradesmen first pooled together to try to save the garment center by wearing pins that said as much, the New York district is still in peril. As a reminder to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others, activists have advised supporters to dig out their pins as a sign of solidarity. Just last week the CFDA’s Steven Kolb, Yeohlee Teng and GIDC’s Fatiah Hosein sent letters to CFDA members urging them to e-mail Jed Howbert in the Mayor’s Office.

Climb Every Mountain: Jim Whittaker, the first American to climb Mount Everest, had some succinct wisdom to impart during a luncheon Thursday at — where else? — the Explorers’ Club in Manhattan. What’s a mountain climber’s first thought after scaling the world’s highest peak? “How to get down,” said Whittaker, 79, of his 1963 trek. The event was the first of what Eddie Bauer president and chief executive officer Neil Fiske promised would be many more partnerships with renowned outdoorsmen as he seeks to return the brand to its roots. Whittaker will consult with Eddie Bauer on marketing and product development, including a performance expedition line, to launch in April.

Crystal Palace: Baccarat, the French crystal maker, is getting into the luxury hotel business. The company, which is controlled by Starwood Capital, has announced that it has agreed to build a Baccarat resort in the new Dubai Pearl complex in Dubai. Baccarat artistic director Chasik Gasmi will oversee the project.

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In yet another fashion show shuffle, @elleryland is moving its show in sync with the Paris couture calendar — though the brand is still keeping one foot on the city’s ready-to-wear schedule. Their runway show in January will coincide with the launch of a new strategy: designing two main collections each year instead of four, which will then be released in four drops. “As we all know, the system needs to change. We need to show sooner to give time back to artisans and designers to do what they do best — create,” said founder Kym Ellery. #wwdnews #wwdfashion (📷: @kukukuba)

@maxmara’s classic 101801 coat was the cornerstone of its pre-fall 2018 collection. The design team expanded the traditional double-breasted, kimono-sleeved style into a trapeze coat, lean belted styles and a peacoat and presented them in monochromatic looks – like the camel one pictured here. #wwdfashion #prefall18 (📷: George Chinsee)

The @cfda has shifted the dates of #NYFW, with Men’s showing on February 5 through February 7, and Women’s will directly follow, running from February 8 through 14. The preliminary schedule will be released on the CFDA’s web site in the next few days, but Mark Beckham, VP of marketing for the CFDA, revealed that @rafsimons will be back to close the men’s-specific part of the week with a show on February 7 #wwdfashion (📷: Kelly Taub)

@ferragamo is introducing a new space dedicated to the development of women’s and men’s leather good samples. The laboratory, which is created eco-friendly materials and designed to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing processes, will allow the company to expand its accessories offering through traditional artisanal approaches. #wwdfashion (📷: @aitorrosasphoto)

How does a “regular, degular, schmegular” girl from the Bronx, N.Y., become a Grammy-nominated artist with a certified platinum record in less than a year? Call it the @iamcardib come up. The 25-year-old has become a musical sensation, and the fashion world is taking note. “If I could describe her style I would say drama. She’s really into the dramatics,” says Cardi B’s stylist @kollincarter. See how Carter styles her bold and out there looks with the link in bio. #wwdfashion

“There is no formula. There is no guideline. I can watch Ted Talks all day, but there is no one who can advise me on exactly what it is I should be doing,” said @ronniefieg, CEO of @kith, in an interview with WWD’s @ariahughes at the brand’s new SoHo office in Manhattan. Head to WWD.com to see how Fieg went from hanging out in shoe stockrooms at 13 to building his own business. #wwdfashion (📷: @weston.wells)

@fearofgod and @maxfieldla have teamed up on a pop-up installation. The store, located in the gallery space across from Maxfield’s Melrose Ave location, is the site of the brand’s House of God pop-up in which Fear of God founder @jerrylorenzo has created a church-inspired installation. A dozen vintage church pews sit in front of an LED screen playing 90s gospel singers in an effort to re-create an environment akin to a Southern Baptist Church, Lorenzo explained. Read more about the pop-up on WWD.com #wwdfashion (📷: Jennifer Johnson)

Known for his sleek, sophisticated American glamour, Norman Norell is the subject of an upcoming exhibition at @fitnyc. “Norell: Dean of American Fashion,” which runs from February 9 through April 14, will feature approximately 100 ensembles and accessories. His best work is exemplified by the designer’s glittering “mermaid” gowns frosted with thousands of hand-sewn sequins – like the one pictured. (📷: William Helburn) #wwdfashion

For pre-fall 2018, @balmain didn’t let go of the glitz. A crystal embroidered baseball jacket priced at around $40,000 hangs in the “couture” section of the brand’s first men’s pre-collection. Sporting the words “Balmain Army” across the back, the item took around two months to make. “When it was completed, it was like Christmas, it was like, ‘It’s done, it’s exactly what I wanted,’” said Balmain’s creative director @olivier_rousteing during a tour of the collection in a Paris showroom on Monday. #wwdfashion